Bridge construction.



H. FRIEND.

BRIDGE GONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 21, mos.

Patented Oct. 7, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA} FLANOORAPH c0., WASHINGTON, D4 c4 'onrrnn srn rns Parana orEioEi.

HOWARD FRIEND, OE LEXINGTON, OKLAHOMA, nssrenon 0E ONE-HALF T0 EDGAR J". KELLER, OE LEXINGTON, OKLAHOMA.

BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed December 21, 1908.

Toall whom it may concern Be it known that I, HOWARD FRIEND, residing at Lexington, in the county of Cleveland and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements. in Bridge Construction, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention, which. relates to that type of bridge construction, generally disclosed in my Patent No. 891,417, dated: June 23, 1908, more specifically is a modified form of the bridge construction disclosed in my co-pending application No. 458,519 filed Oct. 19, 1908, and it com-prehends certain improvements: inthe arrangement of the saddle blocks on the main or end towers that support the main supporting cables, and more especially designed for sustaining as many different main cables as there are primary intermediate posts, from the anchorage at one end of the bridge to. the anchorage at the other end of the bridge.

My present invention, in its more complete nature, comprehends end or main tower posts, primary and secondary intermediate posts, two sets Of cables, one set of which coacts with all of the posts, and joins with the anchorage at each end of the bridge and another set of cables that consists of as many independent strands as there are primary intermediate posts that form a suspension means for the said primary intermediate tower posts and which extend from anchorage to anchorage.

In its more subordinate features, my present invention consists in certain details of construction and a peculiar combination of parts, all of which will be hereinafter fully described, specifically pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1, is a side elevation of a portion of my improved construction of bridge.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of that part ofthe bridge at the immediate right of that shown in Fig. 1 and particularly shows an intermediate support for the bridge. Fig. 2, is a transverse section thereof on the line 2-2 on Fig. 1 Fig. 3, is a, vertical section of the upper end of one of the main or end tower posts on the line 3-3 on Fig. 1". Fig. t, is a similar view thereof on the line 4-4 on Fig. 3. Fig. 5, is a detail perspective view of one of the movable saddle blocks for the end tower posts and the pri- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patentedfict. 7, 1913 Serial No. 468,552.

mary intermediate posts, hereinafter more specifically referred to. Fig. 6, is a diagrammatic view in elevation that illustrates the practical relative arrangement of the cables at, b and, 0, hereinafter specifically referred to.

My present construction, except in the arrangement of the saddle blocks for the main cables on the main or end tower posts and the utilizing of independent main cable strands from anchorage to anchorage, embodies. the structural features disclosed in my co-pending application referred to.

Referring now to the. detailed arrangement of my bridge construction 15 15 designate the end tower posts, arranged in pairs, andwhich may be but two or more pairs as the foundation conditions for the bridge may make it desirable. Each post 15. comprises two like sections of channel irons with their channels opposing each other to provide the vertical spaces as that receive the fixed and movably held saddle blocks presently referred to, the upper end of the channel irons being covered by a cap piece 15 and braced by the upper intermediate saddle blocks and by the bolts 2020.

In my present construction, a single set of intermediate tower posts 15 is located midway the end posts 15 and midway the posts 15 and 15. is a set of primary intermediate posts and another set of secondary intermediate. posts, the number of posts in the sets of said intermediate posts depend ing On the length of the bridge to be built, it being understood that for each set of primary intermediate posts, a suspension cable is used, three of such cables being shown in the present case, and designated a, Z) and c in the drawings. Each of the primary intermediate posts has two fixedly held saddle blocks 16 16 mounted thereon, one 16 at the upper end and the other 16 midway thereof, and in the lower open end of the said primary intermediate posts is movably held a saddle block 17, similar blocks 17 being movably held in the open lower end of the end tower posts. The blocks 1717, one of which is shown in detail in Fig. 5, each has vertical fianges or ribs 17 for sliding in the slots so formedbetween the 1 open edges of the channel irons, and at the lower end the said blocks have laterally projected flanges 17 that form the supports for the cross beams 23 that carry the bridge flooring as shown.

21 designates the secondary intermediate posts disposed between the several primary intermediate posts and the end posts 15 and the adjacent primary intermediate posts, and they are constructed like the posts and in each are fixedly mounted two saddle blocks, an upper one 16 and a lower one 17 the latter being constructed like the blocks 17.

11 designate supplemental bridge sustaining cables of which there are one set at each side of the bridge, where the opposite ends are secured to button heads 42 on anchoring blocks 40 as best shown in Fig. 1 and the cables 1* of each set pass over the middle saddle blocks on the end tower posts and then under the fixedly held blocks in first side posts and then alternately over and under the upper and lower saddle blocks of all of the remaining posts. Cables 1 of each set of supplemental cables pass from the anchor posts under the movable saddle blocks on the end tower posts and then alternately over and under the upper and lower blocks in all the posts between the end posts. To provide for the proper uplift.

draft of cable members 1 extra bearing posts are located between the end tower posts 15 and the anchorage.

By referring now to Fig. 1, it will be noted that the main supporting cables a, b and c are secured at one end to the anchor block 40 and then pass up over the several saddle blocks 16 that are spaced apart a proper distance to give the cables a desired. deflection at both ends of the bridge. Saddle blocks 16 are secured to the posts by the bolts 20 20 as shown. From the upper saddle blocks on the main tower posts the sev eral cables a, b and 0 pass under the fixedly held middle saddle blocks 16 the cable 0 that passes from the tower post at one end of the bridge supporting the first or adjacent intermediate post, cable I) the next or central intermediate post, and cable a the other intermediate post adjacent the opposite end post, it being understood that if there are more than three intermediate posts, a corresponding increase of main cables is provided for and there are as many saddle blocks 16 in the end or main tower posts, as there are main cables, see Fig. 3. In the drawings 1 have shown the cables as extended beyond the tower post 15 shown in Fig. 1 to indicate that the said tower post might be used as center main tower post, but this post may be main tower post While I am able to utilize the maximum.

strength of each of the main cables, 1 pro vide, as it were, three separate and distinct sets of suspension cables and at the same time support and connect all of the cables,

the main and supplemental so that thecontraction and expansion thereof will be uniform.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: g

1. In a suspension bridge of the character described, the combination with the end tower posts, the primary and the secondary intermediate posts; of a plurality of main suspension cables independently supported from the end towers, each of which cables supports one of said primary intermediate posts, other cables engaging said end tower posts that also engage the upper and lower ends of all of the intermediate posts, their connection with the lower ends of said intermediate posts being movable for equalizing the expansion and contraction of said other cables.

2. In a suspension bridge of the character described, the combination with the end tower posts, the primary and the secondary intermediate posts, the supplemental cables that engage the end tower posts and that sustain the intermediate tower posts, and vertically movable bearings in the lower ends of the main tower posts and the intermediate posts under which the supplemental cables pass and engage; of saddle blocks fixedly held on the primary intermediate posts between the upper and lower ends thereof, saddle blocks fixedly held in the upper ends of theend tower posts, a plural ity of main cablesthat engage the blocks in the end tower posts and pass under the fixedly held saddle blocks on the primary intermediate posts, and means for anchoring the ends of all of said cables. HOWVARD FRIEND.

Witnesses:

A. HUTQHIN, J. P. SHELTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. i 

